Lockdowns, curfews should not affect vaccination drive: Centre to states

The Union Health Ministry has written to States/UTs to ensure that movement restriction imposed by them for curbing Covid-19 spread does not adversely impact the vaccination exercise, by restricting access of beneficiaries to the Covid vaccination centres.

In the letter to States/UTs, the ministry said it is being advised that the vaccination services should not be affected by Covid-19 curfews, lockdowns and the movement of beneficiaries to and from Covid-19 Vaccination Centres (CNCs) should not be restricted during such interventions.

"Similarly those CVCs which have been identified as dedicated Covid-19 hospitals should continue providing uninterrupted Covid-19 vaccination services," the order said.

The ministry also said that vaccination services should be provided in a separate building/block in these hospitals that are distinctly separated from the building block where management of Covid-19 patients is being done.

"This will ensure that beneficiaries of vaccination are not inadvertently exposed to Covid-19 these hospitals," read the letter.

India reported its highest-ever single-day spike of Covid-19 cases with over 2.61 lakh new cases and 1,501 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry on Sunday. The active number of cases in the country stands at 18,01,316.